About me

Hi!

Nice to meet you. My name is Sophie Monkman (she/her), and I am queer nature lover who has been in deep awe of the more-than-human world for my entire life.

I grew up in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough, Ontario. This is the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg; lands that are associated with the Williams Treaty of 1923 and the Rice Lake Treaty #20 of 1818. Having the privilege of living on, and connecting deeply to these lands and the beings therein, with a naturalist as a father, and a childhood rich with time in nature, led me to this practice.

My home for the last 15 years has been Tiotiah:ke/Montreal, Quebec, located on unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory. It is here that I have been guiding hundreds of individuals on nature connection experiences since 2018.

Following and trusting what brings me most alive has guided me along my meandering path; I completed a Bachelor’s of Arts in Cultural Anthropology at Concordia University in 2014 as well as two forest therapy guide certifications; the first with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) in 2018, and the second with the Global Institute of Forest Therapy (GIFT) in 2020. I continue to deepen in the field of nature connection and activism by regularly participating in related trainings, workshops and conferences — such as the Nature Mentoring Training with Coyote Programs (2024), the Reciprocal Healing Confluence in Arizona (2019), and the Work That Reconnects workshop with Joanna Macy in San Francisco (2018).

Currently, I am in graduate school pursuing a Masters in Environmental Education and Communication at Royal Roads University (hybrid program).

In addition to building my forest therapy practice, I read widely, write poetry and essays related to and inspired by the human connection to nature, garden, cook, and can reliably be found exploring the beautiful and often overlooked natural pockets in my city with my dog, Sully.